[pure-silver] Re: Ektar enlarging lens

The circle-L mark means its coated, this stands for Kodak's coating tradmark "Luminized". You can date the lens from the serial number. Kodak lenses made beginning about 1940 have a two letter prefix for the serial number. The letters stand for the last two digits of the year of manufacture. The key word is CAMEROSITY standing for the numerals 1,2,3,... Kodak seems to have had very good manufacturing QC so there are not many dogs. I have one of these lenses that someone gave me because the barrel is dented. I also have a 75mm, f/4.5 Enlarging Ektar. This, and the 50mm Ektar are modified Heliar types with excellent color correction. I've tested it against my Schneider Componon and its hard to see any difference other than the Componon (a Plasmat) probably has slightly greater coverage. The name Ektanon was introduced by Kodak about 1949 for use on lenses not quite up to the quality of the Ektars. Nontheless, Ektanons can be excellent lenses. I think the main difference may be the degree of color correction but I don't know for certain. All of the Kodak enlarging lenses with focal lengths longer than 100mm were Ektanons.
So my Ektar has the circled L and the serial number begins with "OC" - that would make it 1941, correct? 

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